Summer Time boys

The summer days are here and life with little boys continues to be adventurous... and enlightening...

Beware of what you say -- it will come back to haunt you in the most unexpected ways: I was at the grocery store the other morning, rushing because I needed to get the shopping done before my 'third boy' arrived with his mother. We had made it, finally, to the check out and I was rushing to unload things (Mom, remember what you tell me, says Jason, SLOW DOWN!). I grabbed a Vitamin Water and swung to put it on the conveyor belt when, oops, I released too soon. (Can you tell that I have been coaching baseball?) The bottle fair flew from my hand, hit the ground and exploded. Orange vitamin water EVERYWHERE! Red faced, I apologize to the very patient clerk. Once it had been cleaned up, I moved the cart forward and was set to finish the transaction when a small voice piped confidingly to the clerk: "My Mom is a bit of a klutz." The clerk choked and I glared at my helpful tyke. He looked at me sweetly, big brown eyes open VERY wide, 'You are, Mommy." Sigh.

Perhaps it is such moments that lead complete strangers to say to me (in this case at the public library) 'Mothers of small boys are saints.' I was in the midst of sheperding three small boys, all with books clutched in hand, towards the check out (Again?). I smiled, albeit weakly, and responded 'No, mostly we are just tired!' She laughed as did the older man who'd been watching the proceedings... well, at least we brought smiles to someone's day.

And then there was the shower incident: As I mentioned, I am watching a friend's child three days a week -- a challenge in many ways too numerous to list here. In a desperate attempt to take advantage of the warmer weather while maintaining peace, I had dressed the three Muskeeters in bathing trunks, set up a water slide and turned them out. They had a wonderful time and got thouroughly coated in grass. When our summer friend's father arrived, I ushered the boys in and told both Jason and Xander that I would take them to the bathroom and shower them off to get rid of the grass itch. Then I turned to speak with our friend's father for a moment. But moments are hours to the small folk, and Xander announced that he was going to shower himself 'in privacy!' I said, without really paying enough attention, 'No honey. Wait for me and I will help you.' "I want to shower myself... in PRIVACY!" I replied, with a bit of impatience, 'Wait and I will help you shower yourself.' At this point, Larry was smiling a bit. There was silence from the back room and I, mistaking silence for compliance, turned to tell Larry about the day. Suddenly a whoosh of water was heard. Larry started to grin and I, with a yelp, dived towards the bathroom. There in the doorway, with water running down his back, was Xander. Triumphant grin in place, he told me 'And I dried myself too!' Amazingly enough, there was only a small lake on the bathroom floor.

Of course, independence comes in many forms: Jason is now makes his own breakfast and lunch (if I am not quick enough), unbuckles his brother and unlocks the front door -- sometimes before I am ready for him to do so. He reads books to his little brother on a regular basis and the two of them go into hysterics. And then there is the creative urge. These days, I have only to mention something and he is off and running with it. For example...

One of our 'summer' projects is to work through The Dangerous Book for Boys(I am posting the program in my Public Blog http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/mapleshakes/ [Shakespeare Amongst the Maples]). As a part of the project, we have been working on creating 'The Explorers Club.' Loosely based on the Boy scout model, we are going to have badges and segments and achievements. Jason, fired up by the idea, sat down and began drawing badges and creating achievements. One of the badges that he created was 'NHFAW' -- the 'No Hitting for a week' badge -- specifically for his little brother. He was quick to tell our summer friend that EVERYONE had to work on this achievement -- not wanting his 'BOO BOO' to feel picked on, I expect.



And then there is the computer: Jason had tried repeatedly to create a user account on something called 'Peeron' -- a website that publishes old Lego building instructions. When he continued to fail at this objective, he decided to create his OWN website where he would publish HIS building instructions. (Smile) He has also started his own blog -- an online journal mostly. Though I am wary of too much computer time, having read the research on how this affects children's' brains, I cannot deny that this 'journal' of his does encourage writing -- as good a way as any to learn English grammar. And learning HTML is not a bad idea either... in this day and technological age, the more computer savy you are, the better. Which is why I have encouraged his work at Eastshore Unitarian Church... cataloging the Children's Library in the Excel Database.



Actually, whenever I sit down and start listing out the various subjects that the boys are studying, I get overwhelmed. There is just SO MUCH -- they, however, swim effortlessly through the material, absorbing and learning at the speed of light.



For one thing, Xander has fallen in love with numbers and addition. He is forever throwing out number equations. This morning it was 2+2=4, 4+4=8, 8+8=16... And his very favorite movie is Donald in Mathmagic Land . I have to admit, it is one of my favorites as well:> And whenever we go to the library, he immediately heads to the math section to select his 'school work' for the day.

Sunshine and Roses

Well, the sun is gone and the rain has returned. Seattlites are grateful -- 25 days with no rain was a bit much. The plants were all beginning to fade into that gray colour which is more characteristic of the Sonoran Desert than of the Emerald City.

As for the people? I have been laid low with allergies and both boys have been suffering consequently -- when Mom gets sick just by going out the door, the boys go out in the yard alone and that is just not satisfactory -- they would much rather have Mom there:>

But, as I said, the rains have returned so we have been out. My rose garden is exploding with color and scent these days and the job of dead heading seems endless. The Cherry trees are putting out fruit, though Tom has no doubts that the squirrels and birds will beat us to the ripened fruits. But the boys did beat the critters to a few treasures. On a recent walk around the neighborhood, they found a patch of wild Salmonberries and proceeded to clean the bush. The best moment was when Jason, his mouth full of Salmon berries, told me that we needed to pick them in order to make a pie. LOL. Silly child. I pointed at the bush and asked 'What berries?' He was surprised. ' Where'd they go?' I pointed at his mouth. Sigh.

And with the first day of summer comes the end of Baseball season, at least for the boys. I can't pretend that I am not grateful. The kids were fun to watch but coaching a motley collection of 4-6 year olds of varying skill and developmental levels through the wilds of baseball was demanding. Jason's final game was quite good. He got hits every time at bat, doubles and triples mostly. And even Xander did fairly well, though he did have a tendency to look at the airplanes as they went overhead rather than at the ball.... For some reason that completely escapes me, both of my sons want to be catchers. I really think that it must be the gear rather than the position. That is especially true for my youngest who is always careful to select his 'hat of the day.' No, I am not kidding. The child wakes up, takes a look at the clothes I have set out, decides whether they suit his mood. If they do, then he dresses and marches off to choose hat and shoes/boots. It is nearly impossible to predict what choices he will make on this so I just watch. Jason is so much easier in this: the only potential issue with him is textures and at this point, most of his clothes are cotton, his prefered fabric.

It is very strange, looking at the boys. They have grown so much and so fast. Jason is as tall as his dad's shoulder and Xander is at Jason's shoulder. When I look back at films of them as babies, something clenches in my heart. They have come so far. Ah, but occasionally I miss those baby days. Xander is torn about it. He wants to be bigger but... he dreads the day when everyone will be living in different places. Near tears the other night, he demanded to know whether his older brother would always live in the same state as he did. He is not one to let go easily. Jason soothed him and they both fell asleep fairly quickly.

They do well together, my sons, except when they are tired and then the usual sibling spats arise. Hmmm... Jason accused Xander of hitting him the other night and when I asked him if Xander (who denied having raised a hand) had actually hit him, Jason's response was 'He hit me with WORDS!' Argg...

Both boys are becoming frighteningly skilled with language. They are both very attentive to what is said and can nitpick statements with the best of them. And both have a large vocabulary -- picked up to a great extent fromt the books that they read/have read to them. Xander surprised his Nonna at the ball fields this past weekend when, having dragged her off on a treasure hunt (complete with a map that he had drawn himself), he responded to her question about getting lost with 'Don't worry Nonna, we will check the map periodically.' She asked me 'Periodically? Where does he get this?' Hmmm... really, that is not one of his bigger words.

And then there was his phone call to his gran in Arizona. He had asked me 'Do womens' butts stick together?' (This was a follow on question: he had commented that his penis tended to stick to his bottom in the mornings and was curious about whether such things happened with women. I said 'no' since women were missing one of the pieces in the equation...) I said 'That is a question you could ask your Grandma Pat.' Opps... Moms really should be careful what they say! He immediately marched off, grabbed the cell phone, called Gran and as soon as he heard her voice, asked the question. Grin. You should've heard her sputter!! I heard it from clear across the room, which was when I realized what had happened...

I guess that is where the expression 'out of the mouths of babes' comes from, hmmm? And Xander is not alone in the flabbergasting department. Jason has his moments as well: the most recent was when he decided to start laying out his life goals. He has done something similar every year since he could first talk -- first his decision to be an astronaut (after he'd been a professional athlete and scientist). His next 'Life Choice' was to become a lego designer -- and that one still peeks out occasionally. Recently, though, he has decided that there are two possible routes he would like to follow -- web designer (he is trying to create his own lego building web site where he plans to publish building instructions for his various creations. Xander, of course, wants to do what his brother is doing which gets challenging for Mom on occasion) and oceanographer. "I really love the ocean" he sighed the other night and began quizzing me on all the fields he would need to study in order to achieve this aim. Then 'So, when do I start High School?' popped out. I blinked, taken aback, and said 'Well, I don't know... there is no need to rush it.' He just shook his head. He is like me in that his interests are many and varied and he wants to study all of them NOW! Korean, Latin, Chess etc.

Xander, of course, follows his brother faithfully. Since Jason is excited about starting up the new school year ('I really think we should do some school work this summer, Mommy," says Jason, 'I need to be ready for the fall!') Xander is equally concerned. "What grade will I be in, Mommy?' he demands. 'Kindergarten' I respond. 'Is that a HIGH grade?' he asks. 'What is a HIGH grade?' I query. 'As HIGH as Jason.' 'It is the right grade.' I parry. He thinks about that... then, when we stop at the library, he starts bringing me 'School' books -- 'We should read THIS ONE for school,' he tells me, handing me a book on Numbers and another on Volcanos.... and mind you, these books were taken from the adult non-fiction area. (We were there because Jason was looking for something.) I agree that we can read them and pluck a book on Plate Techtonics as well, since they'd been asking about earthquakes and volcanos.

Then, last night, in the car on the way home, Xander asks about printing his own money... oh, heavens! That, of course, led into an entire discussion about the Treasury and the government and the process of creating and controlling money which then devolved into a give and take on the issues of Inflation versus Recession etc etc etc. How much did either boy understand? I don't know for sure but I do know that it is going to come back at me sometime this week. It always does.

And now I must run. Boys will be waking soon and we have to take Jason to the church so that he can continue with his book cataloging job:>

Excitement and fear

Oh but the days run on!

The weather has turned hot -- 90+ degrees yesterday -- and the trees, especially the cottonwoods and the oaks, are having a WONDERFUL time. I know this two ways: one, I get an alert that lets me know which pollinator is hard at work and two, I have been sneezing and coughing for no better reason than that I breathe! This has added to my daily challenges in a simple but dramatic way -- because I have been out working in the yard daily, trying to clean up the weeds, trim back the bushes and general create an air of tidy contentment about the house.

Why? You may well ask this. What insane person would do such a thing when she KNOWS that it is going to result in sneezing, wheezing and runny eyes? The answer: A person who needs to get the house in order so that it can be listed to sell.

Have I stunned you into silence? Hmmm... perhaps not. But it is nonetheless true that we are going through the painful process of cleaning/packing etc so that this little house can go on the ***cold*** market. It does seem like an unlikely time to sell, except for two factors: (1)mortgage prices are quite low, though rising and (2)home prices are low. Fact of the matter is -- we have found the place that we want. We saw it yesterday. It is a wonderful place -- and we were greeted when we arrived by a small thin calico kitten who looked remarkably like a little girl cat that we recently lost in death... She charged up to us, purring and, when the boys sat down, climbed in and parked herself firmly on Jason's lap. When we walked about the yard, she galloped after us, demanding attention. I had to explain to the boys that I doubted that she would come with the house, that she belonged to the owners... Sigh.

The trick of it is: the house is a short-sale, set to go to auction in August. Somehow we need to get the funding and put in an offer. This little house has to be packed and cleaned and prepped for sale as well. That mightn't be so hard but with Tom now working two full time projects and one half time project at Boeing, I am left to do most of the work -- both outside and in. I have decided that the packing part can be a training tool for the boys. I will teach them how to box books etc and then Xander can color code the boxes (using a chart) and Jason can label them. The boys are also getting a first hand education in the mathematics of house buying/selling and prepping. We will be working up a budget here in a few days and they will be helping with that as well.

Suffice it to say, I am a bit stressed. I will be glad when baseball season is over as it eats up a lot of time in the evenings and on the weekends.

Precious moments

"The best teacher is the one who suggests rather than dogmatizes, and inspires his listener with the wish to teach himself." -- Edward Bulwer-Lytton


There are times when all I can do is smile: When a little boy designates himself as 'The Earthworm Rescue Squad' and carries off all the little creatures to the compost area so that they can 'Make the world a better place' or when, at a School district surplus sale, a 4.5 year old finds an ENORMOUS Geography textbook and half drags/half carries it to me saying 'I want this book. It has maps. I want you to show me how to read this book!' These are the moments that make homeschooling worth it. These are those precious, never to be recaptured experiences that I selfishly want for myself and not for some nameless, faceless other who, burdened with dozens of children, does not always fully appreciate the wonder of the individual.

Yes, we went to a Surplus sale yesterday. We ended up with two big boxes of books -- not something that we needed since we are in the process of packing up our house but nonetheless, a worthwhile investment since, for 1$ per book we got texts that usually retail for 25$ and up. My sons had a field day. Maps, Books, Games and even -- HA -- a test tube rack. They were also the ones who, looking at the load that their mother was packing, decided that we should leave. In the words of my eldest 'Mom, if you can't carry anymore, maybe we should stop -- before the car can't carry anymore!' The haul included that HUGE geography text -- my 4.5 year old HAD to have it. He was enamoured of the maps and the illustrations and quite firmly stated his intention to learn to read it. I was agreeable as I am firmly of the conviction that we learn to read when we are motivated to do so, and the best motivation is insatiable curiousity. So we stood in line to buy our tons of books and an older lady behind me said 'How many of you here are Homeschoolers?' The woman in front of me raised her hand as did a number of folks around the room and I laughed 'I guess you could say 'a lot of us!'' She just shook her head.

We had fun and as we were lugging the load back to the car, Jason said to me -- 'Thanks for bringing us, Mom. I liked that.' Xander, arms wrapped firmly about his precious book, nodded and said 'Me too!' The hardest part of the whole trip was getting them strapped into their seats since they both wanted to read...


Having spent the morning immersed in books (we stopped at the library on our way home from the sale and the boys found a few more friends with whom to converse), we spent the bulk of the day outside, me on my knees, digging up sod and planting tulip bulbs, the boys in their underwear running through the sprinkler and hunting up bugs for their bug zoo. At one point, noticing how hot and muddy I was becoming, the boys went and found some styrafoam which they filled with water and rose petals. They then came out and got me and brought me back to my 'own personal washing up station.' Smiling, they indicated their makeshift sinks and told me, 'You can use that to wash up -- the water is cool and it smells nice.' Hmmm... I do love the creativity of their souls.